Instructor modeling is a practice that is supported by bold claims of effectiveness and importance in teacher education. In this literature review, we identify theoretical and constructive frameworks used to guide instructor modeling and use these to further examine the extent to which existing literature demonstrates the effectiveness of instructor modeling. Using a four-type framework for modeling, we organize the literature on instructor modeling into one of the four categories: implicit, explicit, explicit with reflection, and explicit with connection to theory. Finally, we explore findings from clustering existing literature in this way and provide suggestions for future research.